by Jetta Cruse
You know when you are shopping for a car and you start noticing car lots and seeing for sale signs everywhere? It is like you get a new heightened awareness for whatever it is that you are seeking, like the universe tunes you in to every opportunity to find the item you are looking for. You may have passed the same car lots and for sale signs several times before but all of a sudden you are aware of them. This is how Strengths has been for me. The more I read, the more discussions I have, the more in tune I get with others who believe the Strengths philosophy.
Just the other day, I was in conversation with someone from my church and I was talking about Strengths and they proceeded to tell me that everyone on the leadership team in our church had taken Strength's Finder and are using it for team building. I was floored! My own church knows of Strengths and is currently using it as a tool to form committees as well as working out conflicts due to differences in the member's personalities. WOW! I wonder how many other institutions, organizations and such are using Strengths and how many more should be?
I know that Strengths has really helped change my approach to people, especially regarding conflict and resolve. Now that I am aware of Strengths I see people in a new light. I am able to ask the questions, how is this person hard-wired? Why to do they react to situations the way they do? Why do I react to them the way I do? Strengths is a very valuable tool for me to have acquired. With Strategic and Activation back to back as 2 of my top 5 strengths this has created some conflicts with others who may possess less activating and more reflecting strengths (Jerry Madsen's Ideation – wink, wink - you're the best Jerry). I am now able to view people with positive labels instead of the negative ones I have acquired over the years. It is amazing to see the difference when I apply the Strength's philosophy to situations of conflict. I definitely get better results. It is like having a new window with a completely different view rather than the old windows I've been looking through. I am truly thankful that Strengths has come into my life. It has made a big difference in my perspective and relationships with others.
I look forward to keeping in tune and seeing where Strengths continues to show up in my life. The first step is awareness!
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